Haze: PM, silence is NOT a solution!

The PM was wrong about the haze returning (conditions are getting better) and S’pore, Indonesia and M’sia have kissed and made up. Sort of. “ASEAN’s foreign ministers have agreed on a process to task officials from Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia to examine what is happening on the ground and to report to the leaders in managing it … Mr Shanmugam, together with his counterparts from Malaysia and Indonesia, met to discuss the haze issue and to recommend to the grouping ways to tackle the problem.Mr Shanmugam felt it was a very positive development as it gave ASEAN a framework to move ahead on the matter.” (CNA)

So back to the days of the Asean way: keeping quiet, and working behind closed doors (like how WP MPs, according to Auntie, deal with the PAP govt? To be fair WP MPs are starting to get vocal; sadly its PritamS, the loose canoon )

The situation is more like making up until the offending partner in a relationship cheats again. And going by Indonesia’s track record on fighting haze, it’s reasonable conclude that it will try to “smoke” M’sia and S’pore, once we sit down and keep quiet. Remember VivianB shouted, “Rape!”*, while M’sia took tougher but quieter action: it sent a diplomatic note of protest, but made it public that it had sent a protest note.In olden days, this was often a prelude to war.

And countries also said publicly that they would raise the issue at an Asean meeting, thereby making it publicly an Asean issue. (They did, hence the “agreement”.)

Given this track record of mendacity, it is important not to forget what Indonesian Energy and Mineral Resources Minister, Jero Wacik said juz before his boss apologised**.

At the opening of a meeting of senior energy officials from Asean countries in Nusa Dua, Bali on 24 June, Indonesian Energy and Mineral Resources Minister, Jero Wacik said that both Singapore and Malaysia had made much profit from Indonesia all this while. He said Malaysia had benefited from bilateral cooperation with Indonesia, including electricity imports from Indonesia. Likewise, Singapore had benefited from Indonesia’s gas supply as well as the large number of Indonesian tourists visiting Singapore.

But he seems to have forgotten S’pore and M’sia didn’t get electricity and gas these things for free. Their companies or govts paid cash, much of which found its way into official’ bank accounts (albeit according to the Indon govt in S’pore). As for tourism, Indonesia benefits from our wealthier tourists visiting Indonesia.

He then went on to say Singapore and Malaysia were trying to discredit Indonesia globally when they should help, he added. said, “Let me remind our friends from Malaysia, Singapore, don’t just because of the haze, tell stories to the world.” He said Singapore and Malaysia should “know themselves” (tahu diri) over the haze, accusing both of trying to discredit Indonesia over the haze issue. “It’s called sharing, you go through good times together, don’t make noise to the world when things go bad. It’s just like husband and wife, don’t take your quarrel outside.”

Err didn’t M’sia and S’pore offer to help fight the fires but were told to bugger off? And haven’t both countries been telling Indonesia for years to do something about the yearly haze, and Indonesia promises to do so, anually, despite refusing to ratify a 2002 Asean treaty*** on the issue? And as related above, our offers of help are ignored or our aid wasted.

And despite him saying,“Both countries should sit together to resolve the problem without making a big deal of it to the world.”, one senior official publicly said that Malaysia and Singapore linked companies were involved in the burning. But two other senior Indonesian officials publicly contradicted him and said that there was no basis for saying this. Indonesia has acknowledged that its officials have been contradicting each other on this point, and that what is needed is a proper investigation. all the companies have also denied publicly the allegations.

He also said that the Indonesian government is doing its utmost to put out the fires. So how come it comes around around as regularly as the monsoons? And what about ratifying the 2002 Asean treaty on fighting haze?

Finally, Indonesian politicians criticised their president for apologising, showing their belief that Indonesia had a right to smoke its neighbours, juz as it has the right to invade and rule West Papua and East Timor.

So until Indonesia shows it is serious about solving the annual problem that hurts millions of its people, S’pore and M’sia have to be willing to name and shame Indonesia publicly and in int’l forums like Asean meetings, or worse come to the worse at the UN This, it seems, is the modern equivalent of Raffles sending in the army to burn down palaces to teach recalcitrant sultans to respect the British https://atans1.wordpress.com/2013/06/24/haze-what-raffles-would-have-done/.

Let’s hope Pinky has found his balls to stand up for S’pore! Silence is not an option!

* In a strongly-worded statement on Facebook he bitched that “no country or corporation has the right to pollute the air at the expense of Singaporeans’ health and wellbeing”, Starting to like him despite his sneering at the poor when a pAP MP asked him to spend more on them. while throwing our money at the Kiddie Games.